Our Reporter, Abuja
Human rights lawyer, Chidi Odinkalu, has criticised a Federal High Court judge, Mohammed Umar, over an incident in which he ordered a defence lawyer to kneel in court, describing the action as degrading and inconsistent with constitutional standards.
Odinkalu, a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, made the remarks in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, where he mocked the judge’s conduct and questioned its legality.
“So, Moh’d Umar… ordered a lawyer in his court to kneel down?… He takes a very literal view of being called ‘My Lord’ & seems to think that means he is entitled to be worshipped,” Odinkalu wrote, adding that such conduct reflected a misunderstanding of constitutional protections against “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
The controversy stems from proceedings in the trial of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, who is being prosecuted by the State Security Service over alleged defamatory posts against President Bola Tinubu.
During Monday’s sitting at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Umar threatened to cite Sowore’s lead counsel, Marshall Abubakar, for contempt after the lawyer raised his voice while objecting to a proposed hearing date.
The disagreement arose after the prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Akinlolu Kehinde, closed its case and urged the court to direct the defence to open its case. Abubakar, however, indicated plans to file a no-case submission and requested an adjournment to July, a move opposed by the prosecution as a delay tactic.
The judge subsequently fixed April 13 for the adoption of final written addresses on the no-case submission. Abubakar protested the date, speaking loudly while addressing the court.
In response, Justice Umar warned him to lower his voice, stating that further disruption would attract contempt proceedings. When the lawyer persisted, the judge issued a direct order: he asked Abubakar to leave the bar area, “come out” into the open court, and “kneel down” at a spot he pointed to in front of the courtroom.
“If you shout in this court again, I will commit you for contempt. In fact, come here! Come and kneel down here!” the judge said.
The order created immediate tension in the courtroom, but was not carried out as other lawyers, including the prosecuting counsel, quickly intervened and pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.
Following the appeals, Justice Umar refrained from enforcing the kneeling order, adjourned the matter to April 13, and rose for the day.
Earlier in the proceedings, the court also addressed an allegation by the prosecution that Sowore had brought a recording device into the dock, contrary to a prior court order. The defendant denied the claim, stating he only had personal items, which the judge directed him to hand over to his lawyer through a court official.
Sowore, who was initially charged alongside the parent companies of X and Facebook, now faces a reduced two-count charge after amendments dropped the corporate defendants and trimmed the counts from five. He has pleaded not guilty.
